Head cover for golf club

ABSTRACT

A shaft protecting portion of a head cover is formed of a knit fabric, having a head inlet/outlet opening at a lower portion thereof. An opening/closing portion, which is open at the head inlet/outlet opening, is formed in a lower portion of the shaft protecting portion. A diameter of the head inlet/outlet opening is increased owing to expansion of the knit fabric when the opening/closing portion is opened by hand, and the diameter of the head inlet/outlet opening is automatically reduced (i.e., restored to the former diameter) when the opening/closing portion is released so that the head cover can be easily put on the head. After the head cover has been put on the head, there is no fear of the head cover being detached from the head even if the opening/closing portion is not locked by a stopper such as a fastener or a planar fastener.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a head cover for a golf club (hereinafter referred to as “head cover”).

2. Description of the Related Art

Golfclubs (hereinafter referred to as “clubs”) are categorized into three types: a wood club, an iron club, and a putter. A head cover protects a club head (hereinafter referred to as “head”) and a shaft to which the head is attached.

Wood clubs, in particular, drivers have been improved in various aspects such as carry and directivity. In recent years, there is a tendency for the head to increase in size (a volume of approximately 400 cc) and for the shaft to be elongated (a length of approximately 45 inches). As a result, head covers for wood clubs have been increased in size.

In a head cover for a wood club, a head protecting portion to be put on the head to protect the head is made relatively large in conformity with the head, and a shaft protecting portion to be put on the shaft to protect the shaft is made relatively thin in conformity with the shaft, with a diameter of a head inlet/outlet opening formed at the lower end of the shaft protecting portion being small. When attaching the head cover, the shaft protecting portion is first put on the head and pulled down to the shaft side, so it is rather difficult for the head inlet/outlet opening with a small diameter to be put over the head.

To solve the above-mentioned problem, there have been proposed the following head covers: a head cover in which a slit is provided in the shaft protecting portion so as to extend to a position near the head protecting portion, making it possible for the shaft protecting portion to be opened and closed to enable the shaft protecting portion to be easily put on the head, with the slit being closed by a stopper for detachment prevention (U.S. Pat. No. 6,321,805 B1); a head cover in which the portion thereof from the shaft protecting portion to a position near the head protecting portion is divided into two portions so that the shaft protecting portion can be easily put on the head, with the two portions being joined together by a planar fastener for detachment prevention (JP 2002-95779 A); a head cover in which a slit is provided in the shaft protecting portion so as to extend to a position near the head protecting portion to enable the head cover to be easily put on the head, with the slit being closed by a magnet or a fastener (zipper) for detachment prevention (JP 2003-225335 A); a head cover in which a shaft insertion slit is provided so as to extend over the entire length of the shaft protecting portion to enable the head cover to be easily put on the head, with the shaft insertion slit being closed by a planar fastener over the entire length of the slit for detachment prevention (JP 9-84910 A); and a head cover in which a slit is provided so as to extend over the entire length of the shaft protecting portion to enable the head cover to be easily put on the head, with the slit being closed by a planar fastener for detachment prevention (Japanese Utility Model No. 3082362).

In all of these head covers, when putting the shaft protecting portion on the head, it is necessary to unlock the stopper, such as the cooperating elements, the planar fastener, the zipper, or the magnet, and to lock the stopper after putting the head cover on the head, which makes the use of the head cover a bother. Further, if the stopper is left unlocked, the head cover may be inadvertently detached.

When used by a player having a pace maker on his or her body, the head cover using a magnet may adversely affect the pace maker and, by extension, the body of the person having the pace maker on his or her body. In view of this, nowadays, in some cases, manufacturers of the club head cover caution users against the danger in the instruction manual.

In the case of the head cover using a zipper, the zipper may be engaged in an inner cloth (get caught by the inner cloth) at the time of opening and closing the zipper, thereby making it impossible to open and close the head cover smoothly, which results in a rather poor usability.

In the case of the head cover using a planar tape, noise is involved when separating the planar tape to extract the club, which may be a nuisance to other players. Further, when the head cover is dropped on a lawn, grass will adhere to the planar tape, which may impair the locking function of the planar tape.

Apart from the above-mentioned club head covers, there conventionally exists a head cover in which the shaft protecting portion is formed of a cylindrical knit fabric, the lower end of which is provided with a head inlet/outlet opening. While the shaft protecting portion expands and contracts to some extent due to the characteristics of a knit fabric, there is a limitation to the maximum diameter of the head inlet/outlet opening at the time of expansion, so the head cover cannot be put on a head increased very much in size as mentioned above without forcing open the head cover inlet/outlet opening. When forced open, the head cover inlet/outlet opening will remain expanded, with the result that the head cover gets out of shape. To solve this problem, it will be necessary to enlarge the diameter of the inlet/outlet opening of the head cover, which will lead to a rather poor-looking design. Further, when the head cover is accommodated in a caddiebag, the head cover inlet/outlet opening may be put over or get entangled with the heads of other iron clubs in the caddie bag, which means, when pulling out the club from the caddie bag, other iron clubs may be pulled out at the same time, resulting in a rather poor usability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A head cover developed by the inventor of the present invention is easily put on a head, and is not inadvertently detached from the head without a stopper. In the head cover according to the present invention, there is provided under a head protecting portion a shaft protecting portion to be put on a shaft attachment portion side, and the shaft protecting portion is formed of a thin and long cylindrical knit fabric, at the lower end of which a head inlet/outlet opening is provided, and at a position near the lower end of the shaft protecting portion, there is formed an opening/closing portion of a slit-like or of some other configuration which is provided at the head inlet/outlet opening. When the opening/closing portion is opened by hand, the diameter of the head inlet/outlet opening is enlarged due to an expanding characteristic of the knit fabric, and when the opening/closing portion is released, the diameter of the shaft protecting portion is automatically diminished (restored to the former size) due to a contracting characteristic of the knit fabric.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a head cover according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed view showing an opening/closing portion of the head cover;

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are explanatory views showing various examples of the opening/closing portion of the head cover according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing how the head cover according to the present invention is put on a head by opening the opening/closing portion thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIG. 4, the head cover according to the present invention is equipped with a head protecting portion 2 (FIG. 1) to be put on a head 1 to protect the head 1, and a shaft protecting portion 4 (FIG. 1) to be put on an attachment portion side of a shaft 3 (FIG. 4) attached to the head 1, to protect the portion around the attachment portion, with an opening/closing portion 5 being formed in the lower portion of the shaft protecting portion 4.

An upper portion 6 and both side surface portions 7 of the head protecting portion 2 are formed of a material which has little elasticity and does not easily get out of shape, such as cloth or synthetic leather, and a head inner side portion (the portion which comes on the upper surface side of the head when put on the head) 8 is formed of a knit fabric. The head inner side portion 8 is sewn onto the upper portion 6 and the both side surface portions 7. It is also possible for the head inner side portion 8 to be bonded to the upper portion 6 and the both side surface portions 7 by an adhesive. The upper portion 6, the both side surface portions 7, and the inner side portion 8 may be all formed of the same material, such as a material which does not easily get out of shape, a knit fabric which is superior in elasticity, or some other material. The configuration, size, etc. of the head protecting portion 2 may be changed in conformity with the configuration and size of the head 1 on which the head cover is to be put.

The shaft protecting portion 4 of FIG. 1 is formed of a knit fabric, and is knitted into a thin and long cylindrical shape whose inner diameter is somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the shaft 3, and at its lower end, the shaft protecting portion 4 has a head inlet/outlet opening 9 through which the head is passed inwardly to be covered by the head cover or passed outwardly to be extracted therefrom. An upper end portion 10 of the shaft protecting portion 4 is connected through sewing to the cylindrical lower end portion of the inner side portion 8. Alower portion 11 of the shaft protecting portion 4 is folded back onto the inner side upwards, and an upper edge 12 of the folded portion is sewn onto the shaft protecting portion 4 to form a double structure. Due to this double structure, the lower portion 11 is reinforced, and therefore the head cover does not easily get out of shape and its elasticity is not easily impaired even if an opening/closing portion 5 is formed at this portion and even if the head cover is used for a long period of time. It is also possible for the lower portion 11 to be folded back onto the outer side of the shaft protecting portion 4 to thereby form a double structure.

In the lower portion 11, there is provided the opening/closing portion 5, which communicates with the head inlet/outlet opening 9; when both sides of the opening/closing portion 5 are pulled apart by hand, the diameter of the head inlet/outlet portion 9 is enlarged due to the expanding characteristic of the knit fabric. When, after the head cover has been put on the head, the opening/closing portion 5 is released, the diameter of the opening/closing portion 5 is automatically reduced (i.e., restored to the former size) due to the contracting characteristic of the knit fabric. Thus, in the present invention, there is no need to provide a stopper for closing the opening/closing portion 5, such as a planar fastener, a fastener, a magnet, or a cord.

To form the opening/closing portion 5, a slit is formed in the lower portion 11 of the shaft protecting portion 4 after the shaft protecting portion 4 has been knitted, and then a tape-shaped reinforcing material 13 is applied to the front and back sides of the peripheral edge of the slit and sewn thereon for reinforcement. Instead of sewing, the reinforcing material 13 may also be fixed by an adhesive. The folded lower end portion of the shaft protecting portion may also be fixed by an adhesive instead of being sewn. It is also possible for the opening/closing portion 5 to be formed automatically when knitting the shaft protecting portion 4. In this case, the peripheral edge of the opening/closing portion 5 is not frayed even if left knit as shown in FIG. 2. However, it is also possible to reinforce the peripheral edge by sewing a reinforcing material thereon as shown in FIG. 1, or to reinforce the peripheral edge by hemming it with a knitting thread which is the same as or different from that for the shaft protecting portion 4 without applying any reinforcing material thereto. Wool yarn is suitable as the knitting thread for the shaft protecting portion 4.

The depth of the opening/closing portion 5 (i.e., the length by which the shaft protecting portion is cut upwards from the head inlet/outlet portion 9) may be larger or smaller than that shown in FIG. 2. When the depth is too large (i.e., when the shaft protecting portion is cut too much upwards), the shaft protecting portion 4 is likely to get out of shape, and when inserting the club into the caddie bag, the club head inlet/outlet opening (hem) 9 may hit an edge or partition of the caddie bag to be turned up, thereby making the insertion of the club rather difficult to perform. Thus, the depth of the opening/closing portion 5 should not be too large. On the other hand, when the depth is too small, the head inlet/outlet opening 9 becomes rather hard to widen (i.e., its diameter becomes rather hard to enlarge), and the operation of putting the head cover on the head becomes rather difficult to perform. In view of this, the depth should be one which allows the head cover to be easily put on the head and which enables the opening to be widened to a degree that it is not easily deformed. The specific dimensions of the opening/closing portion 5 depend upon the head size. For example, when the length of the shaft protecting portion 4 is approximately 25 cm, and the diameter of the head inlet/outlet opening 9 is approximately 4 cm, and the head volume is approximately 400 cc, the head inlet/outlet opening 9 widens to a degree that the head cover is easily put on the head when the length of the opening/closing portion 5 (the depth of the cut) is approximately 3 to 5 cm.

The configuration of the opening/closing portion 5 may be other than the V-shaped downwardly widening slit configuration as shown in FIG. 1. For example, the opening/closing portion 5 may be of a downwardly open rectangular configuration communicating with the head inlet/outlet opening 9 as shown in FIG. 3A, or of a downwardly open semi-circular configuration communicating with the head inlet/outlet opening 9 as shown in FIG. 3B, or of a V-shaped configuration communicating with the head inlet/outlet opening 9 and having an arcuate upper edge portion 14 as shown in FIG. 3C, or of some other configuration. In any case, it is desirable for the opening/closing portion 5 to be of a configuration that can easily expand and be easily restored to the former state. There are no particular limitations regarding a knitting method, a knitting pattern, etc. as long as the opening/closing portion 5 is allowed to easily expand and contract. For the head cover to be easily put on the head, it is desirable to adopt a knitting pattern that easily allows lateral expansion.

When the head protecting portion 2 is of a configuration having no directivity (i.e., a configuration that allows the head protecting portion 2 to be put on the head in whatever direction), the opening/closing portion 5 may be situated at any circumferential position in the lower portion of the shaft protecting portion 4. In contrast, when the head protecting portion 2 is of a configuration having directivity as shown in FIG. 1 (when the head 1 has an upper surface 15 side and a bottom surface 16 side), it is desirable for the opening/closing portion 5 to be situated at a position corresponding to the upper surface 15 side of the head because the opening/closing portion 5 can then be easily opened by hand when putting the head cover on the head.

(Example of the Way the Head Cover according to the Present Invention is Used)

As shown in FIG. 4, when using the head cover according to the present invention, the club is set upright with the bottom surface 16 of the head 1 on the upper side as in a case in which the head cover is put on in a usual manner, and the head inlet/outlet opening 9 of the shaft protecting portion 4 of the head cover is applied to the distal end of the head 1 to cover the same. In this case, by positioning the opening/closing portion 5 on the upper surface 15 side of the head 1, and by pulling apart both sides of the opening/closing portion 5 by hand to enlarge the diameter of the head inlet/outlet opening 9 to put on the head 1, and then by pulling down the shaft protecting portion 4 along the shaft 3 to put the head protecting portion 2 on the head 1 and to put the shaft protecting portion 4 on the shaft 3, it is possible to put the head cover on the club with the direction of the head cover coinciding with the direction of the club head. When the head cover has been put on the club head, the opening/closing portion 5 is released; then, the diameter of the head inlet/outlet opening 9 is automatically reduced due to the contracting characteristic of the knit fabric, and there is no fear of the head cover being inadvertently detached from the club.

As in the case of an ordinary head cover, when removing the head cover from the club, the user holds the club in one hand, and pulls the head protecting portion 2 with the other hand to detach the same from the head 1, and then the user further pulls the head protecting portion 2 to remove the shaft protecting portion 4 from the shaft 3, thereby removing the entire head cover from the club. 

1. A head cover for a golf club, comprising: a head protecting portion to be put on a club head; and a shaft protecting portion to be put on an attachment side of a shaft attached to the club head; wherein the shaft protecting portion is formed as a thin and long cylinder of a knit fabric, having a head inlet/outlet opening at a lower end thereof; a lower portion of the shaft protecting portion formed of a knit fabric is provided with an opening/closing portion which is open at the head inlet/outlet opening; and a diameter of the head inlet/outlet opening is increased owing to expansion of the knit fabric when the opening/closing portion is opened, and the diameter of the head inlet/outlet opening is automatically reduced owing to contraction of the knit fabric when the opening/closing portion is released.
 2. A head cover for a golf club according to claim 1, wherein a peripheral edge of the opening/closing portion is reinforced by a reinforcing material.
 3. A head cover for a golf club according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge of the opening/closing portion is reinforced by being hemmed with a knitting thread that is the same as or different from the knitting thread of the knit fabric of the shaft protecting portion.
 4. A head cover for a golf club according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening/closing portion is formed at a position which is in a lower portion of the shaft protecting portion formed of the knit fabric, and is on an upper surface side of the head when the head cover has been put on the head.
 5. A head cover for a golf club according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a lower end portion of the shaft protecting portion is folded back upwards to form a double structure.
 6. A head cover for a golf club according to claim 4, wherein the lower end portion of the shaft protecting portion is folded back upwards to form a double structure. 